


Flames of the Heart

by TheSnowconeMachine



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert, Romantic Axel (Kingdom Hearts), a healthy side of soriku
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-06-27 04:12:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15677760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSnowconeMachine/pseuds/TheSnowconeMachine
Summary: You've lived in Twilight Town all your life, but recently, life has been... interesting. With the Heartless and Nobodies swarming the town, it's dangerous to go out alone. You've managed to get by for the most part, until now.Axel is taking his training with his new keyblade seriously, but a fateful encounter leaves his mind spinning and heart in disarray. What's so wrong with shirking a little work to have some fun?This takes place after Dream Drop Distance, and will include spoilers to any games before Kingdom Hearts III.





	1. An Alluring Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a little self-indulgent piece that I'm making, since I can't find many good Axel/Reader fics out there. I don't how long it'll go, but I do have plans for it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One never knows what the future holds, or who you'll meet along the way. Destinies intertwine after a fateful meeting, and a knight in shining armor comes to the rescue.

You had been a resident of Twilight Town all of your life, but it had only been recently that your entire worldview had changed. You had heard old legends about other worlds, before, but it turns out the myths were a reality. When the door to the other worlds opened, that’s when the Heartless and Nobodies came. You’ve heard rumors about a boy with a key that can beat them easily, which is nigh-impossible for the average person. Your best hope was usually to run.

You had tried your best to be careful, you had managed to be alright for a while, but today you found yourself cornered. You were filled with regret and fear. The little ones, you could get away from, but this hulking beast had you cornered. You screamed, your cry startling birds away from their perches. However, no one in the city could face a Heartless this big and powerful. Despite wanting to close your eyes, you found that you couldn’t look away. The dark being crept closer and closer, and you looked in horror at the glowing yellow eyes surrounded by shadow. You were frozen with fear, heart beating in your ears. This was your end, you were sure.

That is, it would have been, had the tall man in the black cloak with flaming red hair not run to your defense. Right when the giant Heartless was reaching to grab you, he slashed the hand away, standing between you and the massive beast. That’s when you noticed what he was holding. A key, but it didn’t look much like a key. The top portion was translucent, made to look like fire. Was this the boy people had been talking about? No, you’ve seen this man before. Except with some bizarre, circle-shaped weapons with spikes, not a key. You’ve seen him slink around the city. At first you thought you were seeing things, but this man you had thought you had dreamed up was clearly real. He was the only thing standing between you and the gigantic Heartless.

It was that moment, he addressed you. “Hey there, don’t worry! Just stay behind me!” The man gave you a reassuring smile before launching into battle. You watched as flames danced around him, he landed a flurry of blows against the Heartless. The giant monster soon faded away into nothingness, with little effort on the stranger’s part. A heart wandered up, disappearing into the sky.

All of this happened with you pressed against a wall, staring with wide eyes and frozen in place. You let out the breath you were holding when the Heartless was defeated, slumping down the wall to sit. Seeing you slump, the man rushed over to you. “Hey, are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?” He seemed genuinely concerned as he knelt beside you.

“No, I’m fine.” You responded, “Just a bit shocked, I kind of froze up, there… Thank you for saving me.” You smiled at him. This was the first time you’ve ever gotten a clear view of the man’s face, and you could feel your own heat up a little. He was definitely very attractive, and those bright green eyes of his were absolutely beautiful. However, this was no time for staring.

"Anytime. After all, I wouldn't want a pretty woman like you turning into a heartless." He smiled right back at you, and your heart skipped a beat. "The name's Lea, but people tend to call me Axel. Got it memorized?" Whether he was teasing or flirting, or if it was just his personality, was hard to tell. Whatever it was, you kinda liked it

"I'm (Y/N). It's nice to finally meet you." You said with a blush and a shy smile. "Axel... it's a nice name." You tested it on your lips, wanting to remember it.

At that, he looked a bit confused. "Finally?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

You blushed even darker, and you scratched the back of your head, "Oh! Yeah, I've seen you around a couple of times before. I wanted to introduce myself before, but you seemed busy." You admitted, deciding not to share that you thought you were seeing things. After all, an attractive, mysterious, cloaked stranger? It sounded like fiction. What type of fiction was yet to be decided, but he seemed nice enough, since he saved you from your untimely demise.

Axel chuckled, scratching the back of his head and looking away, a little embarrassed. "Oh, you have now, have you? I must not have been as stealthy as I thought..." He couldn't help but smile, though.

You shake your head, "No, you've been pretty stealthy! At first I thought I was imagining things, and then I thought I was seeing ghosts, because no one else seemed to have caught sight of you. I guess I've just got an eagle eye." You smile at him, "Besides, must be hard being stealthy with that hair of yours! That and a black coat like that isn't exactly blending in." You chuckle, and he joins you.

He finally sat beside you, rather casually, one of his knees bent and his arm resting on it. "You're really right about that, but hey, it's uniform. Well, used to be, at least. I don't run with that crowd, anymore."

Axel’s mood had seemed to sullen a bit at that, so you decided not to pry. Instead, you decided to get up, and held out a hand to offer help up to him. Sure, he was way bigger than you, but it was a kind gesture. “Hey, I owe you, so why don’t I get you some dinner?” You offered with a reassuring smile. Perhaps that would cheer him up?

Axel looked up in surprise at the offer, and smiled, taking your hand. “Sure, but you gotta get me some ice cream, too!” He accepted the help getting up, but made sure to do it mostly on his own, since he was rather big compared to you. “I know just the place.”


	2. Icing on the Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You take Axel out for icecream and dinner, and find out a bit more about this mysterious man, who seems to long to have someone to open up to.

Ice cream and dinner sure sounded like a fun time, but you were still a little nervous. Something inside you makes you want to see Axel again, a longing deep within your heart. You were quite grateful he came to your rescue, of course, but this was more than that. He was handsome, you couldn’t deny, and those gorgeous eyes felt like they pierced your very heart.

  
Axel had led you over to one of the local ice cream shops, where apparently he was a frequent customer, since the staff recognized him. “Hey there! The usual?” The lady asked.

  
He nodded, smiling brightly “Two sea salt ice creams.” With that, he turned to you. “You’ve really gotta try it, (Y/N). It’s my favorite. And hey, if you don’t like it, more for me!” With that, he chuckled. You paid for the ice cream, and he took both of them. Once you were finished paying, he handed one to you. “Give it a try.”

  
Taking it from him, his gloved hand brushed yours, and you could have sworn you felt a soft tingling sensation. His hand was warm, but it was only just a brief touch. Trying to ignore whatever you were feeling, you took a small bite of ice cream, a soft hum of delight escaping you. “It’s sweet and salty… I like it. Thanks.” Smiling up at him, you couldn't help your cheeks getting warm, despite the cold of the ice cream.

  
He seemed to be smiling fondly right back at you, "You know, I've heard that before. Come on, there's a place I wanna show ya."

  
-

  
Axel had led you up to the train station, which had confused you, before he took you to the top of the tower. You were in awe of the beautiful view of the twilight, "Wow... this is gorgeous." However, you gasped when Axel sat on the ledge. That didn't look too safe, so you stayed back, despite the patting of the spot beside him. "No thanks, I'm not too confident in my balance." However, you did sit a bit close to the edge, close enough to make proper conversation with him.

  
"Suit yourself." He gave a shrug, taking a bite of his ice cream as he stared at the sunset. "Ya know, I used to come here with a friend of mine after work. This?" He gestured to his ice cream, "This is the icing on the cake." A bittersweet expression was on his face, clearly recalling memories.

  
You attempted to cheer him up, "Say, got any idea about where you wanna go for dinner? Nothing too expensive, though. I'm not made of munny." You said playfully.  
With that, he hummed thoughtfully. "I dunno, what do you think? Got any places you like? I'm not too picky, so long as the food's good."

  
You tried to guess what might be to Axel's liking, but you didn't know him well enough yet. "Well, there's this really nice pizza place I know. They get the cheese just right. Maybe we can head there? It's not too far from here." You paused for a moment, “You’re not from here, are you?”

  
Axel scratched the back of his head, finishing up his ice cream. “What makes you say that?” He raised one of his partial-eyebrows at the question.

  
You finished up yours before elaborating, “For one, you don’t seem to know any restaurants. Everyone here has a favorite or two. Second, it seems like only the people at the ice cream place know you. When I’d tried talking about seeing you, people thought I was seeing things. I made you the eighth secret wonder of twilight town.” You laughed a bit at that.

  
He smirked a little in amusement, “Eighth wonder, huh? You can say that again.” It was kind of funny, how that number seemed to stick to him. “Do you really think I’m that wonder-ful?” He teased with a grin.

  
With that, you only laughed harder, finding his teasing and the pun adorable. “Come on, ya dork. Lets get some dinner.” With that, you got up, offering you hand to him. When he reached up and took it, again the sparks warmed your skin through his gloves.

  
You were almost reluctant to let go, and it seems that the two of you held hands a second longer than was needed. He spoke up, “So, where’s that pizza place you were talking about?”

  
-

  
After taking him to the pizza place, you two sat and chatted over pizza. However, you were curious, and wanted to start asking questions. “So, I take it you’re not the kid that uses a key as a weapon that I’ve been hearing about? After all, you’re not a kid.”

He finished chewing the last bit of his second slice, “Nope, that would Sora. He’s a friend of mine. The savior of the worlds, quite the little hero.” He chimed, clearly fond of his friend. Then, however, he laughed bittersweetly.

With that, you became concerned again. “What’s wrong?” This time you decided to ask him, since something seemed to be plaguing him.

Axel sighed heavily at that, “Well, let’s say there’s more people than just me in these black cloaks, and anyone else you find wearing them is typically bad news. Remember how I said I don’t run with that crowd anymore?” You nodded, silently encouraging him to continue. “Well, I’m sure you’ve seen the nobodies around town. This place was infested with dusks. However, there was a group of powerful nobodies that retained their human appearance called Organization Thirteen.” You were on an edge of your seat, “I was one of the founding members.”

With that, you blinked. “You’re a Nobody..?” You were really confused. He seemed so different than all of the creatures you’ve seen.

“Not anymore!” He quickly responded, but that only made you confused. Seeing your confusion, he began to explain. “I didn’t know this for a while, but when someone loses their heart, two things are created. A heartless and a nobody. When both the heartless and the nobody of that person are destroyed, they go back to their original self, right in the place where they lost their heart. I didn’t know this until it happened to me! I thought I’d just fade away to nothing when I died, no heart to carry on. Sacrificed myself so Sora could save the day.”

With that, your expression turned sympathetic, and you placed a hand over his. “Axel… I’m so sorry, that must have been hard.” To face death was a terrifying thought. To face death thinking you’d be obliterated from existence entirely? Now that was a whole other horror.

He looked surprised, really not used to being comforted. God, when was the last time he had experienced a sympathetic touch and a listening ear? Probably before he became a nobody, which was a long time ago, now. He smiled softly, “Thanks, (Y/N). Think I needed that. I haven’t had someone to talk to in a long time.”  
You smiled reassuringly back at him, “Anytime.” You pull back your hand, although hesitantly, not wanting to make things awkward. “I mean it, and not just because you saved my life. I want to see you again, if that’s alright.”

With that, Axel was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. “Yeah, I’d like that. I dunno how we could keep in touch, though.” with that, his smile faded into a small frown. “I’ll figure something out.” He gave a shrug.

You thought for a moment, trying to come up with ideas. “Well… do you know how to find addresses here? Or I could just show you my place, you’re free to drop by.”  
He was surprised, to be honest. He wasn’t used to having people trust him so easily. It was definitely nice, but it was also strange. “I can find it.” With that, he got up, giving a little stretch. “I’m technically supposed to be training right now, so I’d best get back. I’ll see you later?”

You nodded, smiling. “Hold on, let me write it down for you real quick.” With that, you wrote your address on a napkin, folding it and handing it to him. You felt the brief warmth as your fingers brushed against each other when passing the napkin, “Alright, see you later! Have a safe trip, wherever you’re going.”

With that, he gave you a wave. “Don’t go forgetting me, now! I’ll be back soon.” With that, he went on his way. You found yourself staring after him as he left, watching those red spikes bounce a little with each step.


	3. Teasing and Trickery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning back to Radiant Garden, where he was staying to train, Axel is asked why he's been gone so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this before Kingdom Hearts 3 came out, so it will not have spoilers, since it kind of interferes with the basic plot. I now have a lovely beta reader, my friend Orphicality, who has also helped inspire me when I got stuck in regards to Riku's parts. A big thanks to them! With their help, I should be producing chapters much faster than normal, but that's not saying much.

Axel had went back to the castle in Radiant Garden, where he was currently staying. Merlin didn’t live far from there, so it was easy to pop over for training in the mornings. However, now it was evening, and the sun was almost set when he arrived back. He couldn’t use the dark corridors except for emergencies since he got his heart back, unfortunately. It wouldn’t be good to fall to darkness when he’s supposed to be one of the guardians of light, now.

Ienzo and the others had been trying to figure out exactly what happened and why, so they’ve been sticking around the castle they used to call home, too. When everyone else first woke up, it was very awkward, considering he had killed Vexen and convinced Riku’s replica to kill Zexion. However, all seemed to be forgiven after a lot of talking it out, and they were all on the side of light now.

Kairi was also staying in the castle, and it was definitely awkward, training with her. Now that he had a heart and could consistently feel again, he felt a lot of regret for what he did to her. Unfortunately, his apologising wouldn’t undo the damage he had done, but that didn’t stop him from apologising every chance he got. She was definitely afraid of him, but trying to give him a second chance, and that’s more than he could ever ask for.

Sora and Riku were still recovering from their Mark of Mastery exam where practically everything that could go wrong went wrong, so they were saying in the castle, too. Mickey, Donald and Goofy were there, as well. It was really weird to Axel, seeing the castle so full of life again after so long. It was almost like everything about the Organization had been a weirdly detailed dream, but he knew better than that. They were all scarred from what happened.

Making his way through the front door, Axel called out an unceremonious “I’m back!” that seemed to echo through the halls.

Riku, who had apparently been nearby, came to greet him. “What took you so long? Kairi was back hours ago.” He teased, though it was clear he was curious.

Axel stretched a little bit, “I just wanted to get a bit of extra training in, as well as doing my duty as a guardian of light by protecting the worlds, you know.” He said with an extravagant flourish, teasing right back.

Riku smiled, crossing his arms, clearly not believing Axel. “Right. So you weren’t just goofing off?”

Axel scoffed dramatically in an offended manner, placing a hand over his heart. “Riku! I am offended you’d even think that way about me! After all I did?” With that, the two of them burst into laughter. After calming down a bit, Axel continued. “Nah, I was somewhat serious, even though I got a little sidetracked.”

Riku raised an eyebrow in curiosity, “Sidetracked? By what?”

With that, Axel lost his whole confident persona and proceeded to get nervous, “Oh, nothing much, just a bit of an emergency- but everything’s fine now!” He spit out, not meeting Riku’s eyes.

Riku crossed his arms, “Axel, look. I trust you after what you did for Sora, but I think you can understand why I don’t like it when you lie.” He said seriously.

Axel gave a little smirk at that, “Well, technically, I wasn’t lying. Just withholding information.” He corrected Riku.

Riku rolled his eyes, “You know what I mean.” However, he didn’t seem genuinely mad. Just a bit impatient, because it always took a little bit to get things out of Axel when he didn’t want to talk about it.

Axel sighed in defeat, deciding to give up early because he really wasn’t doing anything remotely wrong. “Look, I mean it. There was just this big heartless that was attacking this woman and so I saved her. She wanted to repay me so we got dinner and-” With that, Riku gave a knowing smirk, which caused Axel to get a bit flustered. “Don’t you smirk at me! It was completely innocent!”

“Riiiight. And that’s why you took her up on the offer of dinner?” Riku was only looking more and more smug.

Axel immediately retorted, “I was hungry after all the training, and who would reject free food?!?”

Riku began to slowly walk away, chuckling. “I dunno, sounds like you went on a date to me. Let me guess, she asked to see you again?”

“I…” Axel trailed off, trying to think of how to respond. “That’s none of your business!” He ended up shouting.

However, they both stopped when they heard what sounded like someone trying not to laugh, turning towards the person hidden in the shadows. It was Ienzo, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. I had wanted to welcome you back and give you an update, but I didn’t want to interrupt.” He definitely seemed quite amused.

Axel scoffed, “Really?!? Now you’re going to tell me the whole castle heard!” With that, he groaned, beginning to head back to his room.

Riku made a soft “Hmmm…” sound, “Well, they _could…”_

Axel immediately jumped on Riku, covering his mouth. “Don’t you dare!”

After Riku crossed his arms and waited, Axel let him go with a sigh of relief. “You know, you can’t just expect me to stay quiet about this without a bit of incentive.” He smirked a little, holding out his hand. This caused Axel to groan, handing over a pouch of munny.

Ienzo frowned, “Hey, why don’t I get paid for my silence?” He seemed to be upset for getting left out, and Axel chucked another coinpurse at Ienzo’s head, which made contact and caused the nerd to recoil. “... Thank you.” He stooped to pick it up and then vanished into the halls of the castle.

Riku smiled, “Alright, your secret’s safe with me.” He assured Axel. Then he went to find Sora.

-

Sora had immediately went to find Axel after what Riku had told him, “AXEL!” He called out as he ran to Axel’s room.

Axel poked his head out of the door, “Sheesh, kid, where’s the fire? I know I didn’t start one this time!” He may have started a couple some other times. Okay, more than a couple, more like a lot. His fire magic was much more powerful now that he was whole again. But it wasn’t him this time!

Sora grabbed Axel’s shoulders and yanked the taller man down to his height, shaking him. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a girlfriend?!?”

Axel was surprised when he got yanked down and shaken, but then got angry when he heard what Sora said. “ALRIGHT, WHO TOLD?”

It turns out Riku had followed behind Sora, but at a walking pace, and he laughed. “You really thought I wouldn’t tell Sora?”

Axel groaned, pushing Sora away, “Also, I don’t have a girlfriend. All I did was save her from a heartless, and she wanted to thank me by getting me dinner.”

Sora seemed shocked at that, “Whaat?!? I save tons of people from heartless! Why can’t I get a date?” He seemed to deflate a little at that.

Riku went up to Sora and put a supportive hand on his shoulder, “Don’t worry, Sora. I’m pretty sure you’ll get one, soon.”

Axel noticed this, grinning a little at Riku, who sent him a warning glare. Axel shrugged, “Maybe it’s just my natural charm and good looks?” He said teasingly, causing Riku to roll his eyes.

Riku got an idea and grinned, “Hey Sora, you should go tell everyone the good news.”

Sora smiled brightly, “That’s a great idea!” and with that, he was off.

Axel’s eyes went wide, “Wait, don’t-” he tried to stop him, but he was already gone. He slouched against the doorframe in defeat, “You really have to torment me like this? What’s a guy gotta do to get a little privacy around here?”

Riku chuckled, “Oh, come on, it isn’t that bad. I’m glad you’re out and meeting people.”

Axel crossed his arms with a huff, clearly upset. “You sure don’t seem to encourage it, with you letting everyone know my business.”

Riku leaned against the wall, “Would you rather them think you’re being a double agent?”

“Touche.” Axel responded, “But really, you’d best have a good reason for me to keep quiet about whatever you’ve got going on with Sora. It's almost as if your a little _more_ than best friends.”

Riku stared him down, “There’s nothing going on with me and Sora. We’re best friends, that’s all.” His face was stoic, giving no betrayal of his emotions.

Axel grinned, sensing he hit a sensitive spot. “Alright, alright, I get it. _Just_ best friends. Goodnight, Riku.” He gave a little wave, but before he could close his door, Ienzo came over.

Ienzo smiled at Axel as Riku walked away, “I’m sorry to bother you, but I forgot to give you this, earlier.” He handed Axel a weird device, “It’s called a gummiphone. It’s so everyone can communicate between worlds! It can also hook up with pre-existing networks in more technologically advanced worlds, like Radiant Garden and Twilight Town. Let me show you how to use it.”

Axel actually had a soft smile on his face, “You’re the best, Ienzo.”


	4. A Second Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel plans to drop off his phone number, but what happens when you find him?

Having just obtained a device capable of communication between worlds, there was one thing that came to Axel’s mind. After having Ienzo teach him how to use the damn thing, and after training the next day, he went out to Twilight Town. He took the folded-up napkin with her address out of his pocket, going over and finding her place. It was a modest place, it seemed, but she had really worked hard on making it her own. Colorful flags, a flower box, and a welcome mat decorated the small front of the building. It was small, but definitely hers. It had a little mail slot in the front, which he figured was perfect for slipping his own little piece of paper through. He unfolded the paper, checking to make sure his number was correct, and opened the mail slot to put it in.  
  
Right as the front door opened.   
  
He was standing there, frozen and holding the paper, caught like a deer in the headlights. Part of him wanted to use a dark portal to just immediately flee, but he knew he shouldn’t do that. He had a heart again, and was gonna be a guardian of light. Instead, he was staring at you, and you were staring right back at him.

After a couple moments of both of you freezing, he awkwardly scratched the back of his head and handed the paper out to you. “Here. Uh, I wanted to give this to you. It has my number. I, uh, just got a phone…” He trailed off, looking to the side awkwardly.

You smiled at him fondly, taking the paper and reading it. It had both a number and a note that said ‘I finally got a phone, here’s my number. Make sure to hit me up soon, I’d like to hang out again. -Axel’  
  
You looked back to him, smiling. “I’ll put the number in my phone right now. Would you like to come in?” You held the door open for him in invitation.

Axel seemed shocked by the invitation, hesitating. “Are you sure? It looked like you were about to go somewhere. I don’t wanna be a bother...”

You roll your eyes a little bit, smiling encouragingly at him. “I wouldn’t be inviting you in if you were being a bother, silly! I don’t have any plans, do you?” You were curious if he would stay or not, definitely wanting him to stay, but not wanting to be pushy.

Axel smiled bashfully right back at you, “Nah, training’s done for the day. Thought it’d just be dropping the number off, but I suppose I could stay a while.” With that, he strolled in, taking a look around your little living room while you input his number into your phone.

You then proceeded to send him a text, which he noticed when his gummiphone pinged. You smiled at him, “There, now you have my number, too.” You closed the door behind the two of you, “Could I get you something to drink? I’ve got water, soda, milk, coffee…” You trailed off a little, somewhat nervous. You wanted him to feel comfortable, but you also wanted to try and impress him a little. Not that you likely could, since he seemed to be so damn impressive himself.

The place was quaint. It was just you and your cat, so there wasn’t really need for much room. Just a living room, bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and closet. The living room had a comfy couch big enough to use as a bed for when someone slept over. There was a TV, and some game consoles, and a coffee table, but not much else aside from decorations. “Soda sounds good, whatcha got?” He asked, heading over to the couch to sit down.

You went over to your fridge to look, “Let's see… I don't know how familiar with the local brands, but I've got Pixie, Dr. Thirst, Tanta, Mountain Lion, and Faygo.” You said as you peered around your fridge.

Axel thought for a moment, trying to recall the local brands that he liked. “What flavor of Faygo?”

Checking the bottle, you responded. “Cotton candy.”

Axel smirked a little, not that you could see. “So you're a sweet gal, huh? I'll go ahead and have that.” You couldn't help but blush a little. As he said that, he felt something brush against his leg. He looked down to see a cat rubbing against him, and offered his hand for the little critter to sniff. After sniffing, the cat happily butted their head against his hand in a request for pets, which he granted. “What's the cat's name?”

You had gotten cups for the both of you, bringing the drinks over and setting them on the coffee table before sitting beside him. “Axel, meet Clyde.” You smiled, glad that your cat liked him.

“Quite the friendly little guy, huh?” Axel said as he scratched under Clyde's chin.

You nodded, smiling. “Yeah, he's the best. He tends to have really good judgement when it comes to people. I'm glad he likes you.” You laid back against the couch, “I'm sorry, I'm trying to think of something to talk about, but I just don't know what you'd know already or not.”

Axel chuckled a little bit, “Hey, that's alright. I mean, not every day someone comes from a different world, am I right?” He gave you a reassuring smile, “How about I tell you about where I'm from?” He suggested.

You smiled back at him, a little less nervous. “That sounds nice, if you'd like. I know I'd like to hear it.”

Axel leaned back against the couch, recalling the place he called home. “I'm from a place called Radiant Garden, though I've been to many worlds. In the center, there's a castle where Ansem the Wise did his research. He studied the heart and all things related to it, and helped the city with his knowledge. However, the castle was off-limits to most people. I'm not exactly known to follow rules.” He chuckled at that, and you couldn't help but giggle. “So, me and an old friend always used to try and sneak in there, because there were a bunch of rumors about things that went on in there. You wouldn't want to run into him now, though. He's with the Organization… but we used to be really close, when we were kids.” He seemed a bit upset at that, and you put a gentle and supportive hand on his shoulder.

You sighed softly, “You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. But if you do, I'm more than willing to listen.”

With your encouragement, he smiled, shaking his head. “Nah, I'm good. It was a long time ago. Besides, it's easy to talk to you for some reason.” He admitted a little bashfully.

“I'm glad.” You smiled at him softly, waiting for him to continue, your hand still resting gently on his shoulder. He felt warm, even through that coat of his. 

He took a moment to take a sip of his soda, thinking what to say next. “I dunno what to say, growing up there is probably a lot different than growing up here. Why don’t you tell me a bit about that?” He suggested, not so subtly changing the topic.

Finally taking your hand off his shoulder, you nodded, thinking for a moment. “Well… it’s hard, trying to think about what I’d consider normal being different for you, I suppose.” Clyde hopped into your lap, and you looked at him as you began petting him. “I went to school, I did homework… I wasn’t exactly popular. Quite the opposite, actually. I was considered weird, especially because I’m so passionate about the things I care about.”

Too busy looking at your cat and feeling a bit down, you didn’t notice Axel staring at you, listening intently. He didn’t like it when you frowned, “Well hey, being passionate is a great thing. It’s important to care, even if it hurts sometimes. If they don’t like that, it’s their loss.” He knew that all too well. Caring was a wonderful thing, and he wouldn't ever give up his heart again. He didn't know anything about being so unpopular, and didn't really get it, but he could try.

You couldn't help but look up at him, managing a small smile. “Thanks, Axel. That really means a lot to me.” You felt a bit better, “I mean, it's not all bad. The friends I do have are as loyal as they come. We misfits banded together.” You thought fondly on your small group of best friends. “We hang out sometimes, but they tend to be pretty busy with their jobs. I am with mine, too, but not as busy as them. Our schedules seem to never align, it kind of sucks.”

Axel was definitely curious, “What kind of job is it?” He had to admit, he was curious.

You gave a shrug, “Just at a small little home decor place. It has a lot of neat stuff.” It was definitely a nice place to work, and you were paid well for your position. The owners were total sweethearts, but a bit behind the times, so you helped keep things modern.

Axel smiled, “Mind if I drop by sometime? I think I could learn a thing or two. I know a place that could use a lot of sprucing up, for sure.” He couldn't help but chuckle. The castle in Radiant Garden was spooky as all hell, and anything would be an improvement.

You smiled at him, “I'd like that. If you do stop by when I'm working, I'll gladly give you a few tips.” You gave him a gentle, playful nudge and the two of you chuckled. “I work there from 10am to 4pm Sunday through Thursday. I have Fridays and Saturdays off, which is nice. It’s on Sunset Avenue, close to the hill.”

Axel smiled at you, “Well, I’ll make sure to get that memorized. I’ll drop by sometime.”

You two spent a little while talking, getting to know each other more, before Axel finally left. He said his friends were expecting him to be back, and so the two of you didn’t say goodbye, but instead he said “See ya later.”

“See ya, Axel. Have a safe trip back!” You called out after him as he walked away.

You could hear him laugh, turning back to you to respond. “Hey, I can take care of myself! I’m the one who saved you, remember?” He teased with a grin.

“Of course.” You couldn’t help but smile, and watched him as he walked away. Soon, he had rounded the corner, and was out of sight. You, however, remained in your doorway for a little while, just looking out to the last place you had seen him. You felt light, happy, and something else you weren’t sure about.


End file.
